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Procedia Engineering 40 (2012) 339 – 344

Steel Structures and Bridges 2012

Research on fire protection methods and a case study "Futurum"

J. Outinena*, J. Samecb and Z. Sokolc
a
Ruukki Construction Oy, Teknobulecardi, 3-5, Vantaa 01531, Finland
b
Ruukki CZ, s.r.o., Revnicka 170/4, 155 21, Prague 5, the Czech Republic
c
Czech Technical University, Thakurova 7, 166 29 Prague 6, the Czech Republic

Abstract

A common way of handling structural fire protection and design is using the so called standard fire as basis for
prescriptive design. For this, a wide experimental research with also a large amount of numerical simulations has been
carried out in Finland to gather experience of using automatic water extinguishers as a protective method against fire. This
research, test methods and the results are presented in this paper.

A more modern way of evaluating building's fire resistance is performance based fire design. This can be carried out in
many levels and using different fire models. One way is to use zone models to calculate the temperatures in structures. A
case study, now under construction, concerning the use of zone models and OZone software is presented in this paper.

© 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and review under responsibility of University of Žilina, FCE, Slovakia.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Keywords: Fire engineering; fire protection; water sprinklers; fire research; zone model, natural fire model, OZone software

1. Background

It is very common to have a 60-120 minutes fire resistance requirement to load-bearing structures in typical
buildings in Finland and also in other European countries. Normally quite expensive passive fire protection,
e.g. fire protection paint, gypsum boards, rock wool or other material to cover and protect the structure is
needed to fulfil this requirement for steel structures. These are naturally simple ways of achieving the fire
resistance, but there are also some problems with these solutions and high costs. The objective of this research
was to study whether the cooling effect of quite effective sprinkler systems ensure the fire protection of steel
structures with no need for passive fire protection. It is known that automatic water suppression also keeps the
fire local in most cases when functioning properly [5].

* Tel.: +358 400 901039;

E-mail address: jyri.outinen@ruukki.com

1877-7058 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.07.105
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With this system the structural fire resistance can be achieved simultaneously ensuring the life safety of the
occupants or users of the building. When the fire sprinkler system is designed, installed and maintained
properly, the risk that it won’t work is very little [5]. As it is known the sprinkler systems are required in
certain types of buildings with certain criteria. This differs from country to another, even within EU countries
[6].

2. Experimental research

2.1. Test arrangements

In this research a steel framed hall was constructed, the sprinkler system was installed to the ceiling and the
studied steel trusses, beams and columns and other parts of the building were equipped with temperature
detectors. The system was tested against standard ISO-fire. The fire load was produced by heptan-spray burner,
which was situated centrally under the studied structures spreading the fire with three nozzles.

The temperatures were measured from tubular steel trusses, beams and columns. Also the temperatures from
the connections, bracing and steel sheeting were measured. The height of the steel truss was about 1,5m and it
was built from different sized cross-sections. The temperatures were measured from different parts of the truss.
The other structures were also selected so that they represented the smaller sized structures normally used, in
order to widen the use of the results to bigger sections.

2.2. Water extinguishers

In the tests, three kinds of sprinkler nozzle types were tested. The water flow was set to a normal value used
in building design. The pressure was set to quite low level.

The sprinklers produce an umbrella shaped water flow. The watering is determined mainly to put down or at
least restrict the fire from spreading around. At the same time water cools down the structures directly and very
effectively as was found out in the research.

2.3. Simulations

The fire test was also simulated using FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator). The heating of the structures was
studied. In the picture below the system is in use in a real commercial building in Finland. This kind of
structural system was also simulated in fire situation.

Fig. 1 Steel structures, sprinkler piping and nozzles

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3. Results

In the fire tests a standard fire exposure was set by using heptan-spray burners underneath the structure
system. Temperatures from the installed structures were measured during the test. For the defined set of cross-
sections, the temperatures of the steel structures did not raise above the critical level in standard fire exposure.
This can be noted from the figures 2 and 3.

Fig. 3 Temperatures of the steel sheeting in test. Dotted lines from simulation, solid lines from
Fig. 2 Free burn test. No sprinklers.
tests.

On the basis of the tests a short design guide for structural design and also for the design of the water
sprinkler system was introduced. In these instructions the limitations to the structures, cross-sections and
structures’ dimensions are set. For the water sprinklers the design principles concerning the water flow, number
and location of the sprinkler nozzles are instructed.

4. “FUTURUM” case study – a shopping mall in Hradec Králové, the Czech Republic

4.1. Description of the building

Originally, the load bearing structure of the Futurum shopping mall was created as two-storey concrete
structure. The shops were located on the first and second floors, the roof was used as a car park. Recently, it
was decided to extend it by one floor. To reduce the weight the extension was designed as steel structure. New
shops on the third floor are attached to existing multi-cinema in the lower left corner of the building, see Fig. 4.
There is atrium in the centre of the building providing natural lightning of second and third floors. The shops
are accessible from the central corridor extending from the atrium. The floor area of the new building is
13,000 m2, there is car park for 121 cars on the perimeter of the mall. The steel frames are supported on the
roof of existing concrete structure. The simply supported columns are made from RHS sections filled in with
concrete, which support trusses, see Fig. 5. The layout is influenced by location of columns of the original
concrete structure. Typical span of the trusses is 16 m but 8 m span is used in some parts of the building. The
trusses are made from RHS sections, the upper chords are from HEA sections. The walls are covered by
sandwich panels; the load bearing part of the roof is made of corrugated sheets.
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Fig. 4 Plan of the Futurum shopping mall, extension of the third floor. Fig. 5 The steel structure, section

4.2. Fire design

The building is equipped with sprinkler system, automatic fire detection and smoke exhaust system. The
shop is divided into fire compartments consisting from one or several smaller shops. The required fire
resistance is 30 minutes.

Prediction of fire resistance of the building is based on performance based fire design. Temperature in the
fire compartment was calculated using the zone model (OZone software). Because of installed sprinkler system
occurrence of fully developed fire in unlikely, therefore a localised fire was considered in the shops. Fire load
density was evaluated according to ČSN EN 1991-1-2. Because of possible non-uniform fire load distribution
the characteristic load of fire load density q f,k 1460 MJ/m2 and rate of heat release RHRf 500 kW/m2 were
introduced as double values given in the standard. Fire area 44 m2 was considered.

The gas temperature obtained by the zone model and temperature of the upper chord of the truss (section
HEA 220) is shown on Fig. 6. This represents the temperature of the structure located “far away” from the
localised fire, maximum steel temperature is 366°C.
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Fig. 6 Temperature of the hot and cold zones in the fire compartment (left) and temperature of the hot zone and temperature of upper chord
HEA 220 of the truss (right)

Temperature of the structural elements exposed to localised fire is presented on Fig. 7 It is considered that
the localised fire could start anywhere in the fire compartment therefore the element is always in the centre of
the fire. As the flame length reached maximum 5,2 m (flames do not reach the roof of the shop), the
temperature of the upper chord is low but temperature of the lower chord and diagonals is significantly higher
as these elements are engulfed in the flames.
550 Temperature (degrees) 550 Temperature (degrees)

500 500

450 450

400 400

350 350

300 300

250 250
gas temperature gas temperature
200 upper chord temperature 200 lower chord temperature

150 150

100 100

50 50

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Time (min) Time (min)

Fig. 7 Temperature of the upper chord HEA 220 (left) and lower chord RHS 150×150×5,6 (right) of the truss caused by localised fire

Temperature of the upper chord caused by localised fire is 392°C, the temperature of the lower chord is
540°C. The temperature of both elements is higher than the temperature derived from the hot zone, therefore
the localised fire model should be used for the fire design of the trusses.
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5. Summary

A research concerning the fire protection of steel structures in standard fire exposure was carried out in
Finland. Structural fire protection of steel structures was studied using automatic water extinguishing systems.
Several different sprinkler types were used to study the temperatures in selected steel structures. The research
was carried out with fire tests and also simulations.

The aim was to study the possible fire resistance rating to the system and according to the research results;
fire rating of R90 was accomplished.

Temperature calculation using two models at FUTURUM shopping mall is presented. The localised fire
model was used as the sprinklers prevent flashover and the fire remains localised. Temperature of the steel
elements is based on the hot zone calculated using the OZone software to predict the temperature “far away”
from the fire.

Model of localised fire was used for calculation of temperature of steel elements directly above the fire. The
effect of localised fire was more significant than the effect of the hot zone. In any case, temperature of the steel
structure did not exceed 550°C, which allowed using unprotected steel structure for the roof of the shopping
mall.

References
[1] Outinen, Kansa, Fire protection of steel structures using water sprinklers, ASFE conference, Prague, 2009.
[2] Fire protection of steel structures using sprinkler systems”, VTT Research report VTT-R-1871-10.
[3] Fire protection of steel structures using sprinkler systems”, VTT Research report, VTT-R 7226-10
[4] Steel structure with a water sprinkler system fire-protection, VTT Certificate VTT-C-
4921-10, 2011.
[5] Hietaniemi, J., Cajot, L.-G., Pierre, M., Fraser-Mitchell, J. Joyeux, D. & Papaioannou, K. Risk-Based Fire Resistance Requirements.
Final Report. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 2005.
[6] European sprinkler organisation homepage, www.eurosprinkler.org
[7] Buchanan A.H., Structural Desigh for Fire Safety, John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
[8] Franssen J.M., Zaharia R., Design of Steel Structures subjected to Fire, Background and Design Guide to Eurocode 3, University of
Liège, 2005.